SoJ | Daily syllabus

This syllabus is updated after each day's class.
Use it to keep track of what we've done and where we're going.
See also the schedule of topics for a general overview.

Jump to the most recent date

[01] Tu Jan 19 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool]
- Course information; introduction to Japanese and linguistics
  - Handout - Course information and policies
  - Handout - Basic background: Japanese and linguistics
  - Handout - Context: Phonetics and phonology
- Phonetics of Japanese vowels
  - Handout - Phonetics: Vowels of Japanese
  - Sound files illustrating the vowel categories of Japanese are on Sakai (Resources > Sound files > 1. Vowel examples)
To read for Th Jan 21: (see Sakai, Resources > Readings)
- Optional background readings
  - About Japan and Japanese: Backhouse (1994), ch 1, "Language and setting"
  - About linguistics: Tsujimura (2014), ch 1, "Introduction"
- Tsujimura (2014), ch 2 "Phonetics", chapter intro and sec 1
  - These class discussion handouts are useful as a reading guide:
    - "Consonants of Japanese" (see below)
    - "Vowels of Japanese" (see above)
Prepare:
- Handout - Phonetics: Consonants of Japanese
  - Have this handout with you for Thursday's class discussion
  - Everyone: Try to fill in the terms in questions (1)-(2) on the basis of the Tsujimura reading
  - People with linguistics background: Can you fill in the chart in part III?
  - Sound files illustrating the consonant categories of Japanese are on Sakai (Resources > Sound files > 2. Consonant examples)
- Background questionnaire on Sakai "Tests & Quizzes" - Please complete and submit by Th Jan 21, 10:00am
- Please test your web browser for compliance with Japanese fonts, and try out the kana charts

[02] Th Jan 21 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool]
- Phonetics of Japanese vowels and consonants
  - Online materials - Phonetics
  - Handout - Phonetics: Vowels of Japanese
  - Handout - Phonetics: Consonants of Japanese
  - Handout - Japanese consonants and vowels: Example words
  - Handout - Phonetics: Reference charts for Japanese consonants and vowels
- Japanese writing systems and romanization/transliteration
  - Handout - Writing Japanese: Kanji, kana and transliteration
- Sound files illustrating the consonants and vowels of Japanese are available on the Sakai site:
  - Resources > Sound files > 1. Vowel examples
  - Resources > Sound files > 2. Consonant examples
Assignment: Homework assignment #1 (PDF), due Tu Jan 26, 11am
- Sound files needed for this assignment are available on Sakai (Resources > Files for assignments > HW #1 sound files)
- Use the online kana chart

[03] Tu Jan 26 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool]
- Check-in on course material so far
  - Padlet: Anonymous check-in
- Segmental phonology - Vowel and consonant patterns in the mental grammar
  - Handout - Phonemes, allophones, and complementary distribution
  - Follow-up discussion on HW #1
    - Data set - Syllable-final nasals
    - Sound files on Sakai - Resources > Sound files > 3. Final nasals
  - Data set - Voiceless vowels
  - Data set - Bilabial, palatal, and glottal fricatives
Prepare for Th Jan 28:
- Data set - Alveolar/alveo-palatal obstruents in Japanese, part (I)
  - Practice analyzing sound environments and writing phonological rules
  - Have this handout with you for Thursday's class discussion
Reading: Optional advanced reading for more about voiceless vowels
- Tsuchida (2001) [available through a UNC connection]
Upcoming: The alternative version of HW #2, for grad students (will be due next week)
- Read Ito & Mester (1999) (preprint available online)
- Answer discussion questions
- Note: This alternative assignment may be chosen by anyone who has completed LING 523 or LING 200 (or otherwise has knowledge of Optimality Theory)

[04] Th Jan 28 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool]
- Check-in on course material so far
  - Padlet: Anonymous check-in
- Segmental phonology - Phonological rules — and systematic exceptions
  - Data set - Alveolar/alveo-palatal obstruents in Japanese, part (I)
    - Discussion handout for this data set (on Sakai, Resources > Handouts))
  - Data set - Bilabial, palatal, and glottal fricatives
  - Data set - Alveolar/alveo-palatal obstruents in Japanese, part (II)
Assignment: Homework assignment #2 (PDF), due Tu Feb 2, 11am
- Use the online kana chart
- Use the data set on Syllable-final nasals
Alternative assignment: For linguistics grad students, due Tu Feb 2, 11am
- Read Ito & Mester (1999) (preprint available online)
- Answer discussion questions
- Note: This alternative assignment may be chosen by anyone who has completed LING 523 or LING 200 (or otherwise has knowledge of Optimality Theory)

[05] Tu Feb 2 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Segmental phonology - Wrap-up
  - Handout - Segmental phonology in Japanese: Summary (on Sakai, in Resources > Handouts)
- Prosodic structure: Moras
  - Data set - Mora structure in Japanese
  - Handout - Prosodic structure in Japanese, part (I)
To read for Th Feb 4: (see Sakai, Resources > Readings)
- Backhouse (1994), ch 2 excerpt on accent and intonation
- Optional reading: Tsujimura (2014: ch 3, sec 3) on evidence for mora structure in Japanese
Prepare for Th Feb 4: Listen to sound files illustrating pitch accent
- Access the sound files
  - Use "Audio Files" page on Sakai to play embedded files (needs browser plug-in for WAV files)
  - Or use Resources > Sound files > 4. Pitch accent to download the WAV files
- Try to hear: Which words have pitch accent? Where in the word is it?
Upcoming: The alternative version of HW #3, for grad students (will be due The Feb 11)
- Read Labrune (2012) (via JSTOR)
- Answer discussion questions
- Note: This alternative assignment may also be chosen by undergrads who have completed LING 523 or LING 200

[06] Th Feb 4 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Pitch accent
  - Sound files for discussion - embedded | to download
  - Handout - Pitch accent
  - Resource - OJAD (Online Japanese Accent Dictionary)
  - Resource - WWWJDIC (Japanese/English dictionary with various useful functions)
Prepare for Tu Feb 9: Work through this data set and prepare to discuss
- Data set - Characterizing a pitch-accent rule
Upcoming: The alternative version of HW #3, for grad students (will be due Th Feb 11)
- Read Labrune (2012) (via JSTOR)
- Answer discussion questions
- Note: This alternative assignment may also be chosen by undergrads who have completed LING 523 or LING 200

[07] Tu Feb 9 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Prosodic structure, continued: Syllables
  - Data set - Characterizing a pitch-accent rule
  - Data set - More about mora structure
  - Handout - Prosodic structure in Japanese, part (II)
- Assigning prosodic structure and pitch accent by algorithm
  - Handout - Prosodic structure in Japanese, part (I)
  - Handout - Pitch accent
  - Handout - Prosodic structure in Japanese, part (II)
Assignment: Homework assignment #3 (PDF), due Th Feb 11, 11am
- Use OJAD (Online Japanese Accent Dictionary)
Alternative assignment: For linguistics grad students, due Th Feb 11, 11am
- Read Labrune (2012) (via JSTOR)
- Answer discussion questions
- Note: This alternative assignment may also be chosen by undergrads who have completed LING 523 or LING 200
FYI: Anonymous check-in survey (link to Google Form via Sakai) is open until Th Feb 11, 11am

[08] Th Feb 11 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Phonology and loanwords
  - Homework assignment #3
  - GDocs for: [Group 1] | [Group 2]
- Phonology and writing
FYI: No preparation assigned for Th Feb 18 — take a break for the Wellness Days

Tu Feb 16 | no class

Wellness day — no class

Th Feb 18 | no class

Weather cancellation — no class
FYI: No preparation due for Tu Feb 23

[09] Tu Feb 23 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Introduction to morphology
  - Data set - Adjective morphology (Group analysis) | Version with word-level glosses
  - Handout - Morphology: Introduction
  - Data set - Encoding meanings with morphology | GDocs for: [Group 1] | [Group 2]
Prepare for Th Feb 25: Work through this data set and prepare to discuss
- Data set - Verb morphology
  - Find the morphemes in (1) and (2), and compare the two sets
  - Then try to answer the questions in (3)
  - Advanced: Take a look at (4) and try to make generalizations across the many patterns

[10] Th Feb 25 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Verb morphology — Overview
  - Data set - Verb morphology
- Verb and adjective morphology — Further issues and analysis
  - Data set - More about V and A morphology | GDoc for [data collaboration]
  - Handout - Adjective and verb inflection: Summary
Prepare for Tu Mar 2: Read the following handout and prepare to discuss
- Handout - Word classes (syntactic categories) in Japanese
  - Japanese speakers: Try to think of (more) examples of these categories
  - Non-Japanese speakers: Work on understanding the concepts and categories discussed
  - We will generate answers to the data-related questions in class next time

[11] Tu Mar 2 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Word classes
  - Handout - Word classes (syntactic categories) in Japanese
    Some corpus results bearing on the questions in the handout:
    - Data set - Distributional evidence for word class: Corpus data
    - Data set - Corpus data on N, AN
- Linguistic analysis with corpus data
  - The BCCWJ Syoonagon corpus (temporary Bonten interface)
  - Handout - Guide to using the BCCWJ Syoonagon corpus
  - English-language overview of the corpus and its structure
    Maekawa, Kikuo et al. (2014). Balanced corpus of contemporary written Japanese. Language Resources and Evaluation 48(2): 345-371.
  - Supplementary resources for working with Japanese text: WWWJDIC (dictionary) | kana charts
Assignment: Homework assignment #4 (PDF), due Tu Mar 9, 11am on Sakai in "Assignments"
- This assignment is for everyone
- Use the BCCWJ Syoonagon corpus and explanatory handout (links above)

[12] Th Mar 4 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Compounds — rendaku and VN+suru
  - Data set - Compounds and rendaku
  - Handout - Word classes (syntactic categories) in Japanese | see section 5 on VNs
  - Data set - Compounds: Rendaku and verbal nouns (JDIC/BCCWJ) | GDocs for: [Group 1] | [Group 2]
  - Dictionary and corpus resources
    - BCCWJ corpus (Bonten interface) | Guide to using BCCWJ
    - WWWJDIC (dictionary) | Kana charts
Assignment: Homework assignment #4 (PDF), due Tu Mar 9, 11am on Sakai in "Assignments"
- This assignment is for everyone
- Use the BCCWJ Syoonagon corpus and explanatory handout (links above)
FYI: Asynchronous class on Tu Mar 9
- Read information about final project requirements and planning (available here by M Mar 8)
- Complete a survey about your potential interest in project topics and methods (due Tu Mar 16)
- I will be on the class Zoom link during class time for anyone who would like to confer

[13] Tu Mar 9 | Asynchronous class

Covered today: About the final project
- Assigned activity: Please visit the Final project information page and read the following resources:
  - Handout - Final project information
  - Handout - Choosing a structure for your final project
- Assigned activity: Please complete the survey "Final project - Overview and initial planning" in the Tests & Quizzes tool on Sakai by Tu Mar 16, 11am
  - This survey will not be included in your course grade
  - It is the asynchronous counterpart to in-class activities and discussion
  - It also helps me plan content for the rest of the course, to try to cover areas of interest for projects
- Optional activity, but highly recommended: Visit the Course reserves area on Sakai
  - Look to see what ebooks are available there
  - Have a look at their Table of Contents pages to see what topics are covered
  - Browse one or two chapters that cover topics you find interesting
Support and consultation: [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]
- I will be on the class Zoom link from 11:00-12:15 (our usual class time)
- Anyone who has questions or who would like to confer about project topics is welcome to stop by and talk with me
Upcoming: Midterm exam on Th Mar 18 (open through F Mar 19)
- Exam information and review guide
- Opportunity to submit questions and review requests for class on Tu Mar 16 — use the [class Padlet]

Th Mar 11 | no class

Wellness day — no class

[14] Tu Mar 16 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Review for midterm exam (by request)
  - Exam information and review guide
  - Checking in on HW #3 and HW #4
- Background concepts for Japanese sociolinguistics
  - Data set - Kinship terms and honorifics
  - Handout - In-group and out-group
  - Data set - Verbs meaning 'go'
  - Handout - Dimensions of politeness
Prepare: Midterm exam on Th Mar 18 (open through F Mar 19, 11:55pm)
- Exam information and review guide

[15] Th Mar 18

Midterm exam (open through F Mar 19, 11:55pm)
- Exam information and review guide
- JS available on Zoom during class time in case of questions [Zoom link via Sakai]

[16] Tu Mar 23 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Language, gender, and identity
  - Handout - Language, gender, status, and power
Upcoming: Article summary is due Tu Mar 30, 11am on Sakai in "Assignments"
- Assignment is explained in Final project (& article summary) information handout
- Grading criteria now available on Final project info & resources web page

[17] Th Mar 25 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Thematic roles
- Verbs of giving and receiving
  - Data set - Giving and receiving
  - Handout - Verbs of giving/receiving
Assignment: Article summary is due Tu Mar 30, 11am on Sakai in "Assignments"
- Assignment is explained in Final project (& article summary) information handout
- Grading criteria now available on Final project info & resources web page

[18] Tu Mar 30 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Tense and aspect
  - Data set - Tense and aspect in Japanese versus English
  - Handout - Tense, aspect, and verb classes
  - WALS maps: Languages with affixes for [past tense] | [future tense]
  - WALS maps: Languages with affixes for [perfective/imperfective aspect]
  - Grammar Atlas of Japanese Dialects maps: [progressive] | [resultative]
To read for Th Apr 1 (optional):
- Sections 1 and 2 ONLY of Heycock (2008)
Optional assignment: Homework assignment #5(a), due Th Apr 1, 11am on Sakai in Tests & Quizzes
- Note: HW #5 is an optional HW that will come in several small parts, to be turned in separately
- Part 5(a), like all parts of HW #5, is optional, but it's useful preparation for class discussion

[19] Th Apr 1 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool-->] [Padlet check-in]
- The "topic" marker wa
  - Data set - Examples of phrases marked with -wa
  - Handout - About the "particle" wa
  - Examples and discussion in:
    - Heycock (2008) [preprint available online]
    - Masuoka (1993) [on Sakai, in Resources > Readings]
To read for Tu Apr 6:
- O'Grady et al. (2010), ch 5, "Syntax" - focus on sections 1.2 to the end of this excerpt (see Sakai: Resources > Readings)
  - We will go over the important concepts in class on Tuesday, but be sure to do this reading if you have never had a linguistics class before (you may want to review it even if you have had one)
  - This excerpt comes from a slightly older edition of the LING 101 textbook; there are some minor differences from the newer 7th edition
Prepare: Use information from the reading to attempt syntax trees for the sentences in this data set
- Data set - Practice with tree structures

[20] Tu Apr 6 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video available via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Introduction to syntax: Hierarchical structure, constituency, and X-bar theory
  - Handout - Context: Morphology and syntax
  - Handout - Syntax: Basics of X-bar theory
  - Data set - Practice with tree structures
  - Handout - Applying the X-bar schema to Japanese
Practice: Data set - Practice with tree structures
- Try to draw trees for sentences (3)-(5)
- Refer to the handouts Syntax: Basics of X-bar theory and Applying the X-bar schema to Japanese for examples and guidance
- We will check in at the start of class
Upcoming: Project topic proposal is due M Apr 12, 9pm on Sakai in "Assignments"
- Assignment is explained in Final project information handout
- Grading criteria available on Final project info & resources web page

[21] Th Apr 8 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video available via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Checking in on tree structures
  - Data set - Practice with tree structures
  - Handouts (review) - Syntax: Basics of X-bar theory | Applying the X-bar schema to Japanese
- More insights from syntax
  - Handout - Subcategorization and null pronouns
  - Handout - Honorifics and syntactic structure (time permitting)
- Using the JDIC Text Glossing tool
  - Demo sentence: [あの人が車を買った。]
  - Data set - Syntax trees and the JDIC 'Text Glossing' tool
  - Kana charts
FYI: Class on Tu Apr 13 is replaced by guest lecture, 6:30-7:30pm
- Event information
- Please register here
Upcoming: Project topic proposal is due M Apr 12, 9pm on Sakai in "Assignments"
- Assignment is explained in Final project information handout
- Grading criteria available on Final project info & resources web page

[22] Tu Apr 13

Covered today: Guest lecture by Prof. Shigeto Kawahara, 6:30-7:30pm
- "What can we learn about linguistic knowledge from Pokémon names?"
- Event information
- Please register here

[23] Th Apr 15 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Word order, "scrambling," and configurationality
  - Data set - Word-order variation
  - Handout - Word order: Configurationality and "scrambling"
- Other topics in Japanese syntax (optional - FYI only)
  - Handout - Thematic roles and case-marking (on double-ga predicates)
  - Handout - Numeral quantifiers and syntactic structure (on numbers, and the syntax of "particles")
  - Handout - Honorifics and syntactic structure
Assignment: Project methodology plan is due next week on Sakai in "Assignments"
- Official deadline Tu Apr 20, 9pm — for quickest feedback
- Alternative deadline (no penalty) Th Apr 22, 9pm
- Specific information provided in Methodology plan assignment handout
- See also Choosing a structure for your final project

[24] Tu Apr 20 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- History of Japanese - Phonology
  - Data set - Portuguese missionary materials: ESOPO NO FABVLAS (online source)
  - Handout - Historical linguistics: Phonology (part 1)
  - Handout - Historical linguistics: Phonology (part 2)
To read for Th Apr 22 (optional): Shibatani (1990) (see Sakai: Resources > Readings)
- WALS maps of some of Fujioka's "characteristic features of Ural-Altaic languages": How likely are these to prove a relationship between Japanese and Ural-Altaic?
Assignment: Project methodology plan is due this week on Sakai in "Assignments"
- Official deadline Tu Apr 20, 9pm — for quickest feedback
- Alternative deadline (no penalty) Th Apr 22, 9pm
  - Additional extensions (within reason) available on request
- Specific information provided in Methodology plan assignment handout
- See also Choosing a structure for your final project

[25] Th Apr 22 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- History of Japanese - Morphology and syntax
  - Handout - Classical Japanese morphology and syntax
  - Data set - Ra-nuki: Language change in progress
  - Example - Ra-nuki commentary
- Is Japanese genetically related to any other languages?
  - Handout - Language relationships and comparative reconstruction
  - WALS maps of some of Fujioka's "characteristic features of Ural-Altaic languages": How likely are these to prove a relationship between Japanese and Ural-Altaic?
Assignment: Project methodology plan is due this week on Sakai in "Assignments"
- Official deadline Tu Apr 20, 9pm — for quickest feedback
- Alternative deadline (no penalty) Th Apr 22, 9pm
  - Additional extensions (within reason) available on request
- Specific information provided in Methodology plan assignment handout
- See also Choosing a structure for your final project

[26] Tu Apr 27 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Regional varieties (dialects) of Japanese
  - Handout - Dialects of modern Japanese
  - Data set - Examples of dialect differences
  - Media resources for regional Japanese dialects
For next time: Review the transcript of the video clip that we will watch
- Look for examples of the structures described in the box at the top
Optional assignment: Homework assignment #5(b), due Th Apr 29, 11am on Sakai in Tests & Quizzes
- Note: HW #5 is an optional HW that will come in several small parts, to be turned in separately
- Part 5(b), like all parts of HW #5, is optional, but it's useful preparation for class discussion

[27] Th Apr 29 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today: [outline] [Zoom video via Sakai Panopto tool] [Padlet check-in]
- Japanese: Language in context
  - Video clip (shown in class) - KTV's Duomo, "Midnight Cooking Tobetobe Supaisu"
  - Transcript of the video clip
FYI: Class on Tu May 4 will be project workshop time
- I will be on the class Zoom link during class time for questions/discussion
- You are welcome to use the class Zoom meeting to workshop ideas with each other
Upcoming: Presentation criteria for final project now available

[28] Tu May 4 [Join class: Zoom link via Sakai]

Covered today:
- Workshop time for final projects
  - Use the class Zoom link for questions, discussion, or peer feedback
Upcoming: Final project presentations on F May 7, 12:20-3:00pm
- Submit slides and appendix document on Sakai in "Assignments" by F May 7, 11:00am
- See final-project info and resources and info and grading criteria for presentation and appendix document
- Reminder: This presentation session is considered the final exam for our course
  - Attendance is mandatory
  - If you are pass/failing this course and plan to take a zero on this assignment, at least show up and check in with me or I will have to report a grade of AB which will mean a fail

Daily syllabus

Structure of Japanese · Spring 2021